COMPILED & REVIEWED BY CLAUDIA A. FOX TREE, M.Ed (Arawak). Here are resources I recommend in courses I teach about Native Americans - like book lists, websites, video clips, music/songs, curriculum ideas, and other thoughts thrown in for explanation…
Mostly, this blog is a place to present truths and perspectives about the Indigenous People of the Western Hemisphere (with particular focus on the Caribbean) not easily found in other places.

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Definitions

Aboriginal Peoples: The descendants of the original inhabitants of North America. The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal people — Indians, Métis people and Inuit. These are three separate peoples with unique heritages, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

First Nation: A term that came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the word “Indian,” which many people found offensive. Although the term First Nation is widely used, no legal definition of it exists. Among its uses, the term “First Nations peoples” refers to the Indian people in Canada, both Status and Non-Status. Many Indian people have also adopted the term “First Nation” to replace the word “band” in the name of their community.

Aboriginal Rights: Rights that some Aboriginal peoples of Canada hold as a result of their ancestors’ longstanding use and occupancy of the land. The rights of certain Aboriginal peoples to hunt, trap, and fish on ancestral lands are examples of Aboriginal rights. Aboriginal rights will vary from group to group depending on the customs, practices and traditions that have formed part of their distinctive cultures.

National Aboriginal Day: In cooperation with the national Aboriginal organizations, the Government of Canada decided that the best date to celebrate this day is June 21, the day of the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. ..."Canada is proud to set aside a day of celebration in recognition of the unique accomplishments of the Aboriginal people and their contribution to the building of Canada.

UNITED STATES FEDERAL DEFINITIONS:

Indian: "Any person who has the certifiable Indian blood quantum to meet the enrollment requirements of a federally-recognized tribe.” One problem this creates is that Native Americans can be “full-blood” composites (hyphenated tribes/Nations), but not meet the minimum requirements of any one of their respective tribes/Nations.Federally Recognized Tribe: Any Indian tribe, band, nation, rancheria, pueblo, colony or community which is recognized by the United States government as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the Secretary of the Interior to Indians because of their status as Indians. In 1954, the Termination and Relocation Act of 1954 arbitrarily erased 61 tribes.

A Federally-Recognized Indian Reservation: An area of land held in trust by the federal government reserved for Indian use. Massachusetts has ONE reserve. Who has the power to define who is Native American? Who SHOULD?More on Federal RecognitionTribal SovereigntyAs outlined in The Rights of Indians and Tribes, sovereignty for tribes entails the right to:

What's this blog about?

This blog is a place for me to share information and update resources long after the courses I teach have ended. I address a broad range of Native American issues, with a focus on my Nation, the Arawak (and the Taino Nation), Massachusetts (where I live), and social activism/responsibility (related to NA's).

Scroll down this right side for categories and topics. You will find a combination of:- Information about Native American (NA) CULTURE, HISTORY, & IDENTITY- A focus on STEREOTYPES & ACTIVISM- LESSON plans and ideas- ESSAYS about my personal experiences- LETTERS I have written and received- STATISTICS on census data, DNA, and other research- And, many LINKS to videos, blogs, articles, music, posters, etc.